


A Study of Life and Love

by Dev_Writes



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Roommates, Strangers to Lovers, VictUuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2018-12-21 21:03:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11952597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dev_Writes/pseuds/Dev_Writes
Summary: Yuuri couldn’t pinpoint how or when, but Victor Nikiforov had seeped into his life and there was no going back.  Yuuri used to think that getting good grades and graduating with honors were the only things that really mattered.  But now this beautiful, insufferable, silver-haired boy had opened his eyes, and Yuuri began to question everything he thought he knew.





	1. How to Make a First Impression

Yuuri stood in the lobby of his new college dormitory, staring in disbelief at the “Out of Order” sign that was plastered onto the doors of both of the building’s elevators.  His room was on the fifth floor of the apartment-style sophomore dorms, and there was no way he was going to be able to carry all his bags and boxes up all those flights of stairs.  Not without taking multiple trips, anyway.  He wished his sister or his parents could have made it here to help him, but they lived thousands of miles away, and it would be unrealistic to expect them to drop everything and come to America to move him in. 

Around him, a few other students caught glimpses of the state of the elevators and resigned themselves to going up the stairs.  Yuuri sighed and did the same, taking as much as he could carry at once.

By the third trip, his legs were burning.  He stopped on one of the landings to try and regulate his breathing.  He really needed to get his stamina back up to what it once was if he was going to survive the ballet class he was signed up for.

“I can help you with that, if you want.”

Yuuri started and turned at the cheery yet unexpected voice.  A boy with brown skin and a wide smile stood behind him.  While Yuuri’s arms were full, this boy only had a few items in his hand. 

“I’m Pichit Chulanont, by the way,” the boy continued when Yuuri didn’t respond. 

Yuuri shook his head as if to clear it and replied, “Katsuki Yuuri.”  He shifted his feet.  “Um, you really don’t have to… I can –”

 “It’s no trouble at all!” Pichit interrupted.  He reached for a particularly heavy box and took it from Yuuri before Yuuri could protest.  “Which room are you?”

“504,” Yuuri said with a small blush at the unprompted kindness.  “Thank you.”

Pichit simply smiled and hurried up the rest of the stairs.  Yuuri followed.  “Do you live on this floor, too?”  He managed to scan his key card without dropping anything, and the door unlocked for them to enter the halls of the fifth floor.

“I’m actually on floor three,” Pichit replied.  Yuuri nodded, his brain scrambling for something else to say. 

He decided on “This is it, right here” as they approached his room.  The door was propped open from his previous trips up here, and it looked like none of his roommates had arrived yet, which Yuuri was thankful for.  It was part of the reason he had gotten here fairly early.  He liked having time to himself to get settled before dealing with potentially awful roommates. 

Pichit set Yuuri’s box of kitchenware down on the counter.  The kitchen was a part of the common area, which had a few chairs, a couch, and a large window overlooking the campus.  The doors to each individual bedroom led directly into the sitting room.  Overall, it was a much nicer space than Yuuri had expected.  Especially considering how awful his freshman dorm had been.

“Do you have anything else you want help with?”

Yuuri shook his head, his black hair falling into his eyes at the motion.  He wasn’t about to ask for more help from a boy he had just met – that seemed rude, even though Pichit had offered.  Yuuri could handle the rest on his own. 

Another smile broke across Pichit’s face.  “Alright, well, I’m in room 315 if you ever want to hang out!”  Yuuri nodded once in thanks, and with that, Pichit left.

Not five minutes later, Yuuri discerned a pair of loud voices growing nearer and nearer.  Yuuri finished putting the sheets on his bed and peeked out of his room to see two tall boys carrying an impressive amount of luggage into the common area.  They didn’t seem to notice Yuuri yet, still talking and laughing with each other as they put their things down.

Yuuri chewed on his lip, debating whether or not to say something.  He didn’t want to startle them by suddenly speaking up or to seem like a creep by continuing to just stand there and watch them.

One of them – the one with the silver hair – turned and caught Yuuri’s eye, and Yuuri’s breath instantly stilled in his chest.  Piercing blue eyes gazed into his own brown ones, and suddenly Yuuri felt the immense need to duck behind his door and hide.

“You must be Yuuri,” the other boy – the one with the facial hair – said with a noticeable accent, though Yuuri couldn’t quite place it. 

The silver-haired boy gestured to himself and his friend with a smile.  “I’m Victor, and this is Christophe.  We’re your roommates.”

“I’m also your RA, so try not to do anything naughty while you’re here.”  Christophe gave Yuuri a sly smirk and a wink, and Yuuri could feel a blush spread across his face at the implication.

“N-nice to meet you both,” Yuuri stammered, inwardly chastising himself on his inelegance. 

“You as well,” Victor said brightly.  He pushed his silver hair back out of his face, causing Yuuri to suppress a squeak and retreat back into his room.  He didn’t know what, but something about Victor had immediately made Yuuri’s heart beat faster and his palms start to sweat.  Maybe he was just nervous about meeting his roommates.  Yuuri never had been good with introductions.  Or talking to people in general.

“He seems charming,” Yuuri heard Christophe comment through his closed door.  He also heard Victor’s light laughter, and Yuuri couldn’t help but think that was the most beautiful laugh he’d ever heard.  Though it wasn’t great that it was in response to Christophe making fun of Yuuri.

With a cleansing breath, Yuuri jumped back into unpacking and setting up his room.  He wanted to get it all out of the way so he didn’t have to worry about it later.

A knock on the door around noon made Yuuri jump about five feet in the air.  He regained his composure, adjusted a family photo on his desk, and opened the door. 

Victor stood on the other side, smiling down at him.  “Hi, Yuuri,” he said in his Russian accent. Yuuri could put a name to that one.  “Chris and I were wondering if you wanted to come down to the dining hall for lunch?”

The word “Oh” spilled out of Yuuri’s mouth.  He pushed his glasses further up on his nose, and he could have sworn he saw a look of amusement flash in Victor’s eyes.  Did he find it funny that Yuuri needed glasses?  “You… you mean… with you?”

Victor chuckled and nodded.  “Yes, with us.”

Yuuri was frankly taken aback by the offer.  “I… Thank you, but I’m not hungry.”  Which was a lie – he was actually quite ready for lunch.  But he was afraid he had already given off a bad impression, and he didn’t want to make it worse by having a painfully awkward lunch with the people he would be spending the next five months living with.

Surprisingly, Victor looked a little disappointed.  Unless Yuuri had just imagined it.  “Alright, no problem.  We’ll see you later, then!”

Yuuri nodded.  “Yeah, sure. I mean, of course, since we live together.  I mean…”  He pressed his lips together to cut off his ramblings, and the look of amusement crossed Victor’s face again.  Yuuri blushed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. 

As soon as he heard the door to their apartment close, Yuuri leaned against his bed and groaned.   _Why am I so bad at this?_  

Not wanting to risk running into Victor and Chris after he’d turned them down for lunch, Yuuri ordered himself some food from a new Japanese restaurant down the street.  He opened the containers on his desk and sat in the mildly uncomfortable chair supplied by the university.  The smell of the food was delicious, but he could already tell it wouldn’t be nearly as good as the meals his mother used to cook for him at home.

Yuuri pushed away the feelings of homesickness that still plagued him, even with a whole year of university already under his belt.  He wished Yuko was here.  She was the only true friend he made during the entirety of his freshman year.  At least then he could have some enjoyable company.  But she was a junior, a year older than him, so she wouldn’t be moving in until tomorrow. 

He got out some chopsticks - real chopsticks that he’d brought from home - and dug into his food.  It really didn’t bother Yuuri that he felt more comfortable being alone than being around most other people.

At least, that’s what he told himself.   

* * *

Yuuri was perfectly content to browse social media apps on his phone until he got tired enough to fall asleep, but the universe apparently had other plans.

He was startled yet again by a knock on his door. He took his earbuds out and sat up a little.

“Yuuri, are you awake?” came Christophe’s smooth voice. “You’d better be, because we have friends over and we made brownies and if you don’t come we’re all going to be sad.”

It wasn’t until then that he noticed other the other voices coming from the common area. And the delicious smell of brownies wafting in from the kitchen.

Not wanting to be a total recluse, Yuuri agreed to join them. This could be a good opportunity to get to know some people without being put on the spot. It was easier to hide in larger groups, to choose when the attention was on him and when to just sit and observe.

Yuuri hopped down from bed and left his room, remembering to grab his glasses at the last second.

He took in the scene in front of him so that he could determine the best place to sit. Victor was in a loose, gray t-shirt and a pair snugly-fitting pajama shorts. He casually leaned his shoulder against the nearest wall as he talked to a girl with short, red hair. The girl – Mila, he heard Victor say – was lounging in a chair with her legs swung over the arm. Christophe was taking up more space than necessary on the couch, which Yuuri chalked up to obliviousness. On the other end of the couch was a boy with black hair styled in an undercut. He was talking to Chris and another boy Yuuri hadn’t met yet, who was sitting on top of the kitchen table.

Victor paused in the middle of his sentence when he noticed Yuuri. “There he is! Come sit with us.” He waved Yuuri over.

Deciding that sitting in the only other open chair would put him too in the middle of everyone, Yuuri chose to stand off to the side near the couch. He nodded to Victor as a way of saying hello.

Just then the door opened and two more people came into the room, one of whom bearing an armful of board games.

“Heyyy, it’s Sara and Mickey!” Mila called, bending backwards off her chair a bit to look at the two of them. Yuuri could tell the olive-skinned newcomers were definitely brother and sister.

“Did you bring Jenga?” the boy with the undercut asked.

“Of course we did,” Sara replied. She put the games down on the coffee table and plopped down into the open chair, leaving Mickey to perch on top of it.

Chris turned to Yuuri. “Yuuri, this is JJ, Mila, Sara, Mickey, and Leo.” He gestured to each person as he named them. “Everyone, this is Yuuri.” Everybody in the room spoke over each other as they greeted him.

Yuuri smiled a little. “It’s nice to meet you all.” He caught himself fiddling with the hem of his shirt and shoved his hands between his thighs to keep them still.

Leo hopped off the table. “Are these brownies? I’m offended you guys haven’t offered me any yet.” He cut himself a piece and then looked around the room, gesturing with the plastic knife. “Anyone else?” Yuuri shook his head. They probably had something in them.

“I’ve already had two, but I’ll take another,” Mila said.

JJ snorted. “Mila, jeez, save some for the rest of us, fat-ass.” That earned a smack from both Mila and Sara. JJ only laughed harder. Yuuri’s brow furrowed. Mila certainly wasn’t fat, and even if she was, he didn’t see why that would be a reason to make fun of someone – especially a friend.

Victor must have noticed Yuuri’s expression, because he turned to him and said, “JJ often says things before he thinks.”

“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” JJ retorted with a raised eyebrow.

Victor laughed. “Maybe so.”

Mila rolled her eyes and turned to Yuuri. “So, Yuuri. What’s your major?”

“Sports medicine,” he answered. It was mostly his parents’ idea. Yuuri had wanted to become a figure skater – he used to take classes when he was younger. And though his parents supported it as a hobby, they pushed hard for him to become a doctor so that he could easily find a secure, high-paying job right out of college. Yuuri found a compromise of sorts in sports medicine. Though he didn’t find his studies all that thrilling, he had to admit his parents had a point. Maybe it was worth sacrificing passion for stability.

Yuuri opened his mouth to talk about it, but JJ interrupted to gush about his new girlfriend. Yuuri let it happen. It’s not like anyone actually cared about what he was studying, anyway.

For the better part of the next hour, Yuuri resigned himself to listening to the others chat. He didn’t make many more attempts to insert himself into the conversations. If he was being honest, he kind of wanted to go to sleep rather than stay out here. Not that that would be easy, now that there was music blasting from someone’s phone. Yuuri scooted around everyone, now crowded around the coffee table playing a rather intense game of Jenga, and went to the sink to fill up a cup of water before returning to bed. No one seemed to notice.

“You would probably have a better time if you actually talked to people,” a Russian-accented voice sounded from behind him. Yuuri started, nearly spilling his water everywhere, and turned to see Victor standing there, closer than Yuuri expected him to be. He hadn’t heard anyone following him. Yuuri instinctively tried to step back, but he didn’t have any room to put more space between them thanks to the kitchen counter. He had to tilt his head up to look at Victor's face.

Victor's features were both soft and strong, his expression both friendly and intent. He was beautiful in a masculine sort of way. For a moment, Yuuri forgot what was going on around him. He was lost in the crystal-blue sea that was Victor's eyes, and everything else left his mind.

Then Victor’s words sank in, and Yuuri frowned. Was he seriously judging him for his social anxiety? “I’m trying,” Yuuri said, his tone not coming off as sharply as he’d meant it to. Great, now he just sounded pathetic.

“I’m just saying, if you let yourself loosen up, you’d probably have an easier time making friends.” Victor smiled like he’d just imparted wisdom upon Yuuri.

Said wisdom-receiver was officially done with this conversation. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said flatly. He side-stepped Victor and walked around him to his room, closing the door quietly and climbing into bed.

Despite how tired he was, Yuuri couldn’t stop Victor’s words from floating around in his head for the better part of an hour. Not only was being called out for his failed social interactions humiliating, but it also stung that Victor looked down on Yuuri like that. If that’s how he was going to be, Yuuri wasn’t sure he wanted to hang around him that much.

Well, Yuuri thought with a sigh, at least I won’t have to deal with him during the day.

By the time one o’clock rolled around, the music and chatter finally died down. Yuuri finally drifted off to sleep, hoping that tomorrow he would have better luck making friends.

This was a new year, after all. And he was determined to make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovely readers! I hope you enjoyed the beginning of the first multi-chapter fic I've worked on since 2013 (yikes, it's been a while). I may or may not have based a lot of this on my own college experiences... I feel you, Yuuri. 
> 
> Leave a comment letting me know what you think! Or telling me your own college anecdote. Or whatever else you want to say.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Tumblr: [@devwrites22](http://www.devwrites22.tumblr.com)


	2. How to Make a Friend

As it turned out, Yuuri was wrong about not having to see Victor during the day.  Because Victor was in almost every single one of his classes.  

In the first couple weeks, Victor showed up late to almost every class.  Which meant that he had to take whatever seat was available.  Often, that seat was beside Yuuri.  

At first, he was mildly annoyed that Victor didn’t find school high enough on his priority list to show up on time.  He didn’t even seem to have a notebook or pencils.  But after being put in a group with him to discuss their first reading of _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ , Yuuri instantly noticed how damn _smart_ the Russian was.  His analysis of Basil’s painting left Yuuri rethinking his entire perception of each character.

“What do you think, Yuuri?”  Victor turned to him once he was finished with his participation in the discussion.

“Brilliant,” Yuuri said almost numbly.  “I – I mean, I hadn’t thought of it that way.”  He launched into his own breakdown of the text based off what Victor said.  To Yuuri’s surprise, Victor actually seemed interested in what he was saying and even bounced more ideas off of what Yuuri said.  

As they packed up to leave class, Yuuri decided to forget what happened on move-in night.  He figured it was the best thing to do; he didn’t want any resentment between him and a roommate.  Besides, maybe Victor didn’t mean to come off so… rude.  Though, one could argue that Victor’s coming in 10 minutes into a lecture and disrupting Yuuri’s concentration was also rude.  

Still, he was willing to give friendship a shot.  Yuuri turned to Victor and opened his mouth to say something, but as soon as he did, someone else caught Victor’s attention from across the room.  So with an internal sigh, Yuuri picked up his backpack and left the classroom.  

* * *

The one exception to Victor being late was ballet.  As far as Yuuri could tell, Victor was actually _early_ to the campus studio on the two days a week they had ballet class.  

Yuuri had practiced ballet when he was young, back when he was really into figure skating.  Luckily for him, a lot of what Minako-sensei taught him came back to him easily as the class got going.  Although their teacher quickly took an interest in Yuuri and his skill as a dancer, he could already tell he wasn’t quite as good as Victor.  Or the little blond freshman who glared at him a lot during warmups.

“Remember not to bend your knee, Mr. Katsuki.”  

Yuuri straightened his leg at the command from his ballet instructor as everyone practiced Attitudes, performing them as a group facing the wall of mirrors.  In the reflection, he could have sworn he saw the blond-haired boy – another Yuri, if he remembered correctly – smirking at him.  

_What’s his problem?_

His eyes drifted from Yuri to the other students in the room.  Even though he knew he was good at ballet, Yuuri wanted to get a feel for how he was doing compared to everyone else.  His gaze, unintentional as it was, settled on Victor for a moment.  The Russian’s form was impeccable; it looked like he was executing the move with almost no effort at all.  

 _He looks perfect,_ Yuuri thought as his gaze drifted over Victor. _Too perfect.  He should be in a more advanced class._  

To Yuuri’s mortification, Victor met his gaze in the mirror.  They locked eyes for a second, Victor giving Yuuri a little crooked smile.  Yuuri blushed and quickly snapped his head forward again, embarrassed at being caught watching him.  He stared at his on reflection with intense focus for the rest of the exercise.  

By the time class finished, Yuuri was sweaty and tired.  He changed back into normal clothes and put his glasses back on as soon as the instructor ended practice for the day.  Part of him wanted to go back to the dorm, take a cold shower, and flop onto his bed until dinner.  However, the more rational part of his brain reminded him that he still had another class to go to today.  And it also wouldn’t hurt to get a head start on some homework.  

With a reluctant sigh, Yuuri pushed the door open and stepped out into the early-September heat, starting the walk across campus.  Luckily the school wasn’t huge, so he could get to almost any building in under fifteen minutes if he really tried.  

“Yuuri, wait up!”   

Yuuri looked over his shoulder to see Victor doing a sort of half-run to catch up to him.  He groaned to himself and slowed down, fully expecting a comment about him staring at the other boy earlier.

Yuuri gave Victor a little wave as he caught up to him and fell into step beside him.   He had changed back into his regular clothes, too, which Yuuri noticed comprised of shirts and jeans that were perhaps just a bit too tight.  He didn’t blame him - if he was that good-looking, he’d probably want to show it off, too.

Victor hiked his bag farther up on his shoulder. “You, uh… you looked good in there.”

“Not as good as you,” Yuuri responded automatically.  He quickly added, “You seem to have a knack for ballet.”

“So do you.  Have you danced before?”

Yuuri nodded, happy that the conversation was only light smalltalk.  “When I was little.  You have too, I’m sure.”

“Yeah,” Victor said with a smile.  “I loved it when I was a kid, and now I’m majoring in it.”

“Why are you not in the advanced classes, then?” Yuuri inquired.

Victor huffed in annoyance.  “The administration wouldn’t let me get into those classes without passing a prerequisite first.  That’s what I get for changing majors, I guess.”

Yuuri hummed in understanding.  “What was your major before?”

“Marketing.  I hated it.”

Yuuri snorted at the disgusted face Victor was making.  “Surely it wasn’t _that_ bad.”

“Oh, Yuuri,” Victor said through a dramatic sigh, “you have no idea.”

They turned right and headed toward the center of campus, Yuuri having to jump out of the path of a skateboarder that came barreling around the corner.  Victor easily side-stepped him.

“It seemed like you wanted to say something after English class this morning,” Victor noted.  He looked at Yuuri expectantly as they walked, waiting for him to talk.

“Oh.”  Yuuri hadn’t realized that Victor saw him.  He chewed on his lip.  “It was nothing.”

Victor’s brow furrowed.  “No, what?”

Yuuri sighed.  “I was just wondering if you wanted to study for our first test together this weekend.  Since we live together and have the same class and all that.  But you don’t have to.”

“Maybe not on the _weekend_ ,” Victor said.  “But sure, I’d like that.”

Yuuri blushed lightly.  For the past year, he’d spent his Saturday nights doing homework instead of going out with friends or partying.  Parties really weren’t his scene.  Of course, he probably shouldn’t have assumed the same of Victor.  

“Right.  Um… tomorrow, then?”

Victor laughed.  “Friday counts as the weekend,” he countered.  “Wouldn’t you rather relax and have fun at the end of the week than study?”

Yuuri simply shrugged.  “Not really.”

Victor froze in his tracks and blinked, dumbfounded.  “But that’s what weekends are _for_.”

“No, they’re for getting ahead on work so you don’t have to worry about it so much during the week.”

Victor shook his head and chuckled to himself, starting to walk again.  “That makes absolutely no sense.”

Yuuri felt his shoulders slump.  “Never mind,” he muttered.  He started to veer off onto another walkway.

“Wait, where are you going?” Victor called after him.

Yuuri slowed and turned, walking backward now to keep facing Victor.  He lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.  “I have to go to the bookstore,” he said with a wave of his free arm in that general direction, naming the first thing that came to mind.

“Oh… okay.”  Victor slid a hand into his pocket.  “I’ll see you later, then?”

“Yeah.”  Yuuri turned around to face forward again.  “See you later.”

* * *

“It’s the end of the second week of school.  This is your last chance to drop that class,” Phichit said, speaking over Yuuri’s long groan as he attempted for the fifth time to write an introduction for a kinesiology paper.

Yuuri cut off his groan when another student shushed him for being too loud in the library.  He gave them an apologetic look and then turned to Phichit.  “I can’t drop it, it’s required for my major.”  He had to admit 17 hours was a lot to juggle, but it would be worth it in the long run.

“The major you don’t like.”  

Yuuri looked over to see Phichit giving him a pointed look.  

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just…”

“Yuuri, if you spend the semester trying to convince yourself you’re happy with your classes, you’re going to end up miserable.”

Yuuri returned his fingers to the keyboard of his laptop and made himself type something, if only to make the blinking cursor stop mocking him.  “I’m not miserable.  It’s just this one class that I have to get through.”

Phichit gave up with a sigh and an incredulous, “Okay.”  After a few moments of silence, he said “How’s the roommate situation turning out?”

“It’s alright,” Yuuri replied without taking his eyes off his computer.  “I somehow still haven’t seen my third roommate.  The transfer student.  I think his name’s Otabek.  Christophe is nice, but he’s loud and he always leaves his dirty dishes in the sink.  And I have no idea what to think of Victor.”

“How do you mean?”  Phichit cocked his head in curiosity.

Yuuri stopped typing.  “Well… I can’t tell if he likes me, or if he thinks I’m a loser.  And he doesn’t seem to care about his classes, but he’s also really smart.  I don’t get it.”

Phichit gave a short hum in response.  “That is weird.”  He tapped Yuuri’s head with the eraser-end of his pencil.  “You’re not a loser, just for the record.”

Yuuri smiled a little.  “Thanks, Phichit.”

“Besides, you don’t have to care what he thinks of you,” Phichit said as he pulled a library book from the stack he’d brought to the table.

 _But I do,_ Yuuri thought.  He did care.  And he had no idea why.

* * *

_“Hi Yuuri!  It’s your mother.  And your father and sister are here too._

_"We must have called during one of your classes.  How is school going?  Good start to the year?  I hope you’re making lots of friends and getting good grades!  Oh who am I kidding?  We know you’re getting good grades!  You’ve always been such a great student.  We’re all very proud of you, Yuuri._

_"Give us a call when you get the chance!  We miss you.  The house always feels emptier when you’re gone.  (Mari said that, but she told me not to tell you it was her.)_

_Talk soon!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Thanks so much to those of you who have bookmarked/left kudos on this fic so far. Let me know what you think of this chapter!
> 
> Tumblr: [@devwrites22](http://www.devwrites22.tumblr.com)


	3. How to Develop a Crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The Boys' Class Schedules](https://devwrites22.tumblr.com/post/167343117462/heres-yuuri-and-victors-class-schedules-in-a)

Today was not a good day to sleep in.Unfortunately for Yuuri, that’s exactly what he had done.Now, he was breaking into a quite undignified sprint to get across campus to his chemistry lab in time.Why did he pick to have lab at 8:00 am on a Monday?Why?

He dodged other students who were making their way to or from class.Some of them paused and watched him go, others didn’t find a frantic student noteworthy in the slightest.Yuuri zeroed in on the science building.Almost there...

“Hey, watch where you’re going, fatso!” 

Yuuri skidded to a halt before he crashed right into someone who he frankly hadn’t seen until they had spoken to him.Yuuri recognized that short, blond-haired boy…

“Yuri?” 

“Katsuki,” Yuri greeted him shortly.He was wearing a t-shirt with a fierce-looking tiger on it, tight jeans, and his typical frown, which was visible even behind his sunglasses.He blew his bangs out of his face.“You may want to try leaving on time.That way you won’t have to plow over any freshmen to get to class.”

Yuuri shifted his weight, his rush to class momentarily forgotten.“Sorry.”He had barely spoken to him, but every exchange they had, Yuri Plisetsky seemed to be annoyed with him to say the least.Yuuri wasn’t sure what he had done to offend the younger boy. 

Before Yuuri could open his mouth to say anything else, Yuri pushed past him with a curt “See you in ballet.”Yuuri stumbled back a little.For someone so small and lanky, Plisetsky was pretty strong. 

Yuuri stood there for a moment before remembering he was supposed to be hurrying to class.He checked the time on his phone - 8:02.He sighed.Well, there was no point in running anymore.In fact, he might as well grab something to eat from the café nearby before heading into lab.It would only take a few more minutes, and he hadn’t had time to grab breakfast before he rushed out the door this morning.

Yuuri pulled open the café door and immediately recognized Victor by his silver hair.He was standing in line, probably to order the coffee and donut he usually brought to their morning classes.Yuuri got in line behind him, deciding on not saying anything to him unless Victor noticed him.Victor put in his order (Yuuri’s assumption was right) and moved to the side to wait for his food and drink. 

Victor’s eyes passed over Yuuri, and then he did a double-take.“Yuuri?What are you doing here?”

“The same thing as you,” Yuuri said.He turned to the student barista to order.Should he get tea?The professor probably wouldn’t let him have it anywhere near the lab equipment...

“But… you’re _never_ late to class.”Victor actually looked concerned for him. 

Yuuri sighed, suddenly feeling guilty at being caught here.Which didn’t make any sense, seeing as Victor was the king of unpunctuality.“My alarm didn’t go off,” Yuuri explained.“I figured I might as well eat something before I start mixing chemicals together.”He finished putting in his order and swiped his student ID card as a form of payment.

“Fair enough…” 

“You have no room to judge,” Yuuri said defensively, turning away from the counter and making room for the next person in line to order.

Victor chuckled lightly.“Trust me, I know.I’m not judging you, I’m just surprised.” 

“Why are you so late all the time, anyway?” Yuuri asked, more curious than anything.“You could just get up a little earlier and still have time to get breakfast.”

Victor gave a nonchalant shrug.“I do just fine in all my classes regardless.Besides, I like sleep.”

Ah.He was one of _those_ people. 

Yuuri glanced up at him.Victor looked as effortlessly immaculate as always.Today he was wearing a black V-neck with a stylish jacket over it, and his bangs fell in a curtain over one of his eyes.For some reason, the thought crossed Yuuri’s mind that he wanted to touch Victor’s hair to see if it felt as soft as it looked.He immediately shut that thought down and stared at his own feet instead.

Both of their orders came out at the same time, so they picked them up and walked back toward the science building together.Victor took a sip of his coffee and hummed in contentment.“So.Faulty alarm, huh?”

Yuuri nodded.“I don’t know what happened.”He snorted a little.“I nearly ran over Yuri Plisetsky on my way here.”

Victor laughed, and Yuuri’s heart fluttered at the sound.That was an… odd reaction.

“Did he yell at you?” Victor said.

“Oh, yes,” Yuuri said.“I don’t think he likes me very much.”He took a bite of his muffin, getting crumbs everywhere.

“He doesn’t seem to like _anybody_ very much,” Victor pointed out.

Yuuri shrugged.“I guess.”Maybe it wasn’t personal after all. 

The two of them made it to the science building, Yuuri making sure to finish his muffin before they got there.“Hold on,” Victor said before Yuuri opened the door.He quickly drained the rest of his coffee and tossed the empty cup into a trashcan that was about ten feet away.Victor seemed proud of himself for that.“Alright, let’s go.” 

Yuuri prepared himself for the shame of being tardy while they made their way to the third floor. 

“Katsuki.Nikiforov.You’re late,” their professor said as they walked through the door to the lab room.Professor Allen was about fifty if Yuuri had to guess.He seemed like one of those teachers that had put up with college kids for so long that he was over trying to get them to behave themselves.“Partner up and grab your supplies. _Goggles first, Nikiforov_.We spent a whole class on safety procedures.”The exasperated professor pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head while Victor backtracked to grab a pair of safety goggles from the supply cabinet. 

Yuuri put his on as well and then made his way to the only remaining lab table available.Victor joined him a few seconds later.

“These things are so ugly and uncomfortable,” Victor complained.  His bangs hung over the front of the goggles.“And they leave red marks on your face for the rest of the day.”

Yuuri fought the urge to roll his eyes.He started prepping for today’s experiment, having already memorized the procedure.“Would you rather have an accident during lab and go blind?”

Victor pouted.“No.”

“Exactly.Can you measure out .75 grams of this?”

Yuuri got into the zone, really wanting to do this lab right.He only talked when he needed to communicate something to Victor regarding the experiment.Victor didn’t quite catch on to that.

“We never set up our study date,” Victor mentioned, holding a test tube steady while Yuuri carefully dropped a precise amount of a solute into it.The liquid in the test tube turned magenta.Yuuri stopped holding his breath and wrote down his observations in his composition book.

“I guess we didn’t, did we?” he said absentmindedly as he jotted everything down in his neatly-drawn table. 

“Do you still want to?”

Yuuri plucked the test tube from Victor and secured it over a Bunsen burner.“Do _you_?”

“Of course!” Victor said.“It will be fun.”

“Studying isn’t about fun,” Yuuri retorted.Seriously, what was with this guy? 

“I beg to differ,” Victor said flippantly.“Studying by nature is boring and tedious, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it bearable.” 

Yuuri slowly turned the Bunsen burner on low heat.“I’d rather focus and get it done in a few hours than get distracted and spend an unnecessary amount of time on it.”

Victor smirked.“You have much to learn.Perhaps I can show you the ways of Enjoyable Homeworking.”

Yuuri frowned.“That’s not a thing.And I think the way I study is just f- _wait don’t mix that in yet_!”

Too late.One second their experiment looked great, the next the entire thing exploded in a shower of solvent and shards of glass.

The room went completely silent.Yuuri could feel the eyes of each and every student trained in on him, and he caved in on himself.

The silence was broken by Victor doubling-over laughing, so hard that he had to lean against the counter for support.Yuuri’s embarrassment was instantly replaced with confusion as he watched what he was afraid could be a mental breakdown unfolding.“Well that will make for an interesting lab report,” Victor said once he could breathe again.

Yuuri gave him a sideways glance.What about this was funny?Their experiment had literally blown up in their faces.How did he manage to be so positive all the time? 

Professor Allen was standing with a slightly unfocused stare at the remnants of the poor lab equipment.He seemed to be frozen like that.Yuuri winced, praying that they weren’t going to get in trouble.Finally the professor snapped out of it, ran a hand over his face with a sigh, and turned to address the whole class.“And that, everyone, is why we wear safety goggles.”

* * *

Though Yuuri mourned the tragic death of their chemistry experiment and rightly blamed it on Victor and his inattention, he still agreed to have a study session with him that night.They had started out in common area of their dorm, but upon realizing that Chris had brought someone home with him, they moved to the student center.Even Otabek emerged from his room at the disturbance and relocated for a time.

The McCarthy, as the student center was most widely known, was normally full of people.Tonight was no exception.Not only was it a good study area if you didn’t mind some noise, but it also housed the main gym, which was visible through the glass wall on the left.Yuuri found the student center to be an interesting place - it was certainly good for people-watching.The library was typically home to the most studious of them; the theater was the hangout for drama kids; no one but nursing majors came near the Perkins Building after hours.But at the McCarthy, you could find all types of people.It was a melting pot of the university, in a sense.

“Upstairs or down?” Victor asked.

“Up,” said Yuuri.“It’s usually quieter up there.”The two of them took the short spiral staircase to the second floor and set up at an empty table against a wall.A few other students worked at other tables or lounged with laptops in the big chairs at the back of the room.

“Okay, where were we?” Victor said as he opened up his English textbook. 

He and Yuuri dove right back into it, Yuuri acting as the self-proclaimed flashcard creator.The first hour went more smoothly than Yuuri expected.After a while, though, he could tell Victor was getting restless.The Russian boy bounced his leg at an alarming speed, and his focus started to waver. 

Eventually Victor said, “Let’s do something else.Just for a few minutes.” 

“But… we’re not done yet.”Yuuri was hoping to finish everything before 10:00.They could do it, if they buckled down for the next half hour or so.

“We can come back to it,” Victor countered.“Besides, we have tomorrow to study, too.The test is on Wednesday.”

Yuuri took his glasses off briefly to wipe the lenses off with his shirt.“I know, but won’t you want to use tomorrow as review instead of trying to cram with the rest of the material?”He didn’t have time for a break.He couldn’t afford it.He was afraid that as soon as he started to slack off, his academic career would start falling apart around him.This could very well turn into the push of the first domino.

“Come on,” Victor pleaded, “a little break will do us some good.” 

Yuuri was growing increasingly irritated.“Easy for you to say.”

Victor tilted his head.“What do you mean?”

“You’re one of those people who can get straight As without even studying.Well guess what?The rest of us aren’t lucky like you, and we actually have to put in hard work and effort to get what we want.”

Victor looked stunned. 

Yuuri gathered his books, nearly dropping a couple in the process, and stood from his chair.“You don’t have to study with me if you don’t want to.”He turned from the table.

Before he could walk away though, pale, slender fingers grabbed a gentle hold of his wrist.Yuuri swore a jolt of electricity went through him at the touch.

“I’m sorry,” Victor said quietly.“My attention span has always been… well, a little all over the place.I really am trying, though.”

Yuuri’s features softened.“I… it’s okay,” he mumbled, feeling a bit remorseful about his outburst.  Victor let his hand slip from Yuuri’s wrist.  Yuuri hesitantly sat back down.“I’m sorry for yelling.”He wasn’t even sure where it came from, really.He normally wasn’t one to get too worked up about something.At least, not enough to express it like that.

There was a knowing glint in Victor’s eyes, though Yuuri had no idea what the other boy was thinking about.Yuuri shrunk back from his scrutiny.Victor must have sensed his discomfort, because he turned back to their books.

After a few minutes of silence, though, Victor said, “Yuuri, what do you want to do with your life?”

Yuuri was thrown by the question.“What do I want to do?”Victor gave a confirming nod.“Um… I guess I want to graduate with honors and get a job in my field.”

Victor nodded again a few times.Slowly, as if he was thinking about something.

“...Why do you ask?” Yuuri said.

Victor smiled lightly.“No reason.Just curious.Now,” he closed the textbook with a loud thump, “will you quiz me over section four?”

For the rest of the night, Victor remained intensely focused.Yuuri could tell that the other boy was trying hard, and that it wasn’t easy for him.Yuuri was both appreciative and confused.Wouldn’t Victor be happier studying with someone else?Someone who had a more similar approach to school work?

They finished up by 10:15.Yuuri made himself relax and tried to make up for his selfishness by suggesting a break partway through.Victor seemed relieved by that, taking that time to stretch and walk around.Yuuri was fine sitting still, but he did allow himself to scroll through the few social media sites he used. 

“I’m sorry for ruining our lab this morning,” Victor said as they started on the walk back to the dorm.They stuck to the sidewalks, which were illuminated by street lamps, until they had to cross through the parking lot in front of their building.

Yuuri shook his head.“It wasn’t entirely your fault.”

“It kind of was,” Victor said with a sheepish smile.“I should have been paying more attention.”

Yuuri smiled up at him softly.“It’s okay.I guess worse things could have happened.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Victor said. “To make it up to you, I’ll help you write the lab report.We can work on it together.” 

Yuuri’s smile widened.“I’d like that.” 

He’d like that very much, he realized as he started to fall asleep that night.Despite Victor’s selfishness and arrogance and judgmental attitude, Yuuri was drawn to him.For some reason, there was this _want_ to be near him more.

But... Victor wasn’t really all those things, was he?He was… kind.And funny, and thoughtful, and intelligent.Not only that, but he was willing to step out of his comfort zone for no other reason than to fit Yuuri’s own style of studying.Yuuri’s heart warmed at the thought.

Maybe he had been wrong about Victor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Finally got around to updating this fic :) Leave me a comment letting me know your thoughts!  
> P.S. If you're in the mood for some angst... the other multi-chapter fic I'm working on is called [What the Heart Can't Forget](http://www.archiveofourown.org/works/12469560/chapters/28380024).  
> Check it out if you want!
> 
> Tumblr: [@devwrites22](http://www.devwrites22.tumblr.com)


	4. How to Enjoy Your Friday

Being in a group text was somewhat irritating, but also kind of nice.  Yuuri had never had enough friends to be added to one before.  Now, his phone was buzzing every two seconds with a new message as people tried to set plans for going off campus for dinner on Friday.  

Yuuri switched his phone to silent as he walked into the ballet studio for class.  He greeted the teacher, and then he brought his bag into the changing room to find a half-naked Victor changing into his ballet clothes.  

“Hi, Yuuri.”  Victor smiled at him.   Yuuri smiled back, forcing his eyes to stay on Victor’s face.

“How do you think you did on that reading quiz?” Yuuri asked as he set his bag down and dug around for his practice clothes.  Earlier in the day they both had their Medieval History course, and the professor decided to spring a pop-quiz on them.  Half the class had looked terrified by the announcement.

Victor pulled a shirt over his head and stuck his arms through the sleeves before reaching for his pants.  “I only read part of the chapter, but I don’t think I bombed it or anything.”

“I read it all, but I still think I missed a couple questions.” Yuuri said.  He got out his shirt and pants and hastily changed into them.  He wasn’t exactly keen on being only partially-clothed in front of people.

“What are you two idiots talking about?” came a snappy voice from the doorway.  Yuuri turned to see Yuri entering the changing room.

“Good to see you too,” Victor said with a joking tone, though not maliciously.

“We had a pop-quiz in history earlier today,” Yuuri explained as he zipped up his bag.

Yuri scoffed.  “Aren’t pop-quizzes for middle-schoolers?”  

Victor laughed.  “This profesor is a bit… Yuuri, how would you say it?”

“Old-school.”

“Yes, that.”

Yuri grumbled something unintelligible and started changing into his ballet clothes.  Yuuri’s brow furrowed.  What was it that made Yuri so bitter all the time?   It made Yuuri sad to think that this boy was never happy.

More students filed in as Yuuri, Victor, and Yuri sat on the floor of the studio and laced up their shoes.  Yuuri glanced at his phone one more time before standing to start warm-ups.   Seven new messages were already on the screen.  

“Someone’s popular,” Yuri observed dryly.  

Yuuri huffed a laugh.  “Not really.  I’m in a group text trying to decide on dinner plans for tomorrow.”  Yuuri watched the smaller boy tug at the ribbons on his shoes, and an idea came to him.  “Why don’t you come with us?”

Yuri stopped and looked at him in shock, his usual frown momentarily gone.  He pointed to himself.  “Who, me?”

“That’s a great idea!” Victor exclaimed form beside him, leaning in to join the conversation.

Surprisingly enough, Yuri didn’t immediately shut down the idea.  Instead, he chewed on his lip in contemplation and said, “I guess that sounds okay.”  Then he squared his shoulders and added, “Only because my other plans are getting moved to next weekend.  I’m not some loser who has nothing better to do on a Friday night than go to dinner with people I barely know.”

Yuuri smiled and opened his mouth to respond, but their teacher called the attention of the class to get today’s lesson started.

For the next hour, Yuuri lost himself in dance.  He found that re-learning ballet was one of his favorite things about this semester.  It brought him back to his childhood, reminded him of what he used to really enjoy.  Not only that, but it was a nice break from some of his more mind-numbing classes.  Bit by bit, he was able to banish the nervousness and let the movements flow out of him naturally, which earned him praising remarks from the instructor.

Ballet was fun and a good stress-reliever, but it was also hard work.  Yuuri mopped sweat from his face as he changed back into normal clothing at the end of class.  He lingered near the entryway of the small building to check the messages on his phone again, just to see if any progress was made on that group dinner.  With the click of a few buttons, he added Yuri to the group text as well.  He’d invited Phichit and Yuuko too.

“You’re such a teacher’s pet.”  Once again, Yuuri turned to find Yuri standing behind him with his arms folded.

“Pardon?”   

“It doesn’t even make sense, you’re not a ballet major or anything.  You’re just here because you have to be and yet you’re the star student.”  Yuri jabbed an accusatory finger at him.

…Is _that_ what all this was about?  Yuuri wasn’t trying to upstage anyone; in fact, he _wasn’t_ upstaging anyone.  Victor was by far the best dancer in the class, and Yuuri also believed Yuri was better than him.  The teacher complimented _everyone_ whenever they did something right.  Yuuri didn’t think it was all directed at him, or that he got any kind of special treatment.

Yuuri honestly didn’t know what to say to that.  “I…”

Yuri huffed and pushed past him and through the door.  

“Yuri, wait,” Yuuri called.  He blocked the door with his arm before it could swing fully shut and followed the younger boy out.  Yuri huffed, but he stopped walking.  Yuuri moved around him so they could face each other.  “Is that why you’re so short with me?  You think Mr. Bridges likes me more than you?”

Yuri grumbled.  “It sounds stupid when you put it that way.”

“It is stupid,” Yuuri admitted, eliciting a growl from the blond-haired boy.  “Yuri, you’re an amazing dancer.  You’re talented and hardworking, and just because the instructor said something nice to me doesn’t mean he doesn’t see your potential too.  Besides, you’re better than most people in that class, including me." 

Instantly, Yuri’s sullen composure dissolved, his shoulders going lax and his eyes shining with an emotion Yuuri couldn’t place.  He looked like he had been taken completely off guard.  It was as if he had never heard such words from anyone else before.

Yuri swallowed.  “You really think so?”

“Yeah, I do,” Yuuri replied sincerely.  

There was a small pause in which Yuri’s gaze shifted to the ground.  “You’re the first person who’s said something like that to me since my grandpa died,” he said quietly.  

Yuuri sucked in a breath at the confession.  There was a vulnerability in his tone that Yuuri had never heard before, and suddenly he felt the need to protect him.  “I’m sorry,” he offered gently.  

Yuri shrugged, sniffed nonchalantly, and tossed his bangs in an attempt to brush off the emotion he just displayed.  The aura of aloofness returned.  Though Yuuri knew it was a façade, he didn’t want to push Yuri’s limits.  So instead of continuing the conversation, he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow night, then, right?  You should be getting all the group texts now." 

“Yeah, I am, and it’s really annoying,” Yuri responded.  He started to walk away, but then paused and glanced behind his shoulder.  “But yeah, I’ll be there.”

* * *

Yuri’s mood improved drastically and stayed that way even throughout dinner on Friday.  Which was kind of miraculous, in Yuuri’s opinion.  The two of them sat in a large booth with a round table, along with Victor, Christophe, Mila, Sara, Mickey, Leo, JJ and his girlfriend, Phichit, Yuuko, and even Otabek.  They had chosen a restaurant downtown that they could all afford (JJ argued for a higher-end meal, but that was vetoed due to the fact that he was the only one in the group who could afford it).  

The restaurant was actually nicer than Yuuri expected.  Certainly nothing fancy, but it was well-kempt and had a nice atmosphere.  Just about everyone in the group carpooled, so they all got there at around the same time.  They waited for a few minutes before a hostess showed them to their table in the back of the restaurant.

Yuuri didn’t usually like being cramped in the middle of a booth, but that’s where he was tonight.  Some part of him snapped into action when he saw Victor was going to be in the middle, and he quickly moved to secure a spot next to him.  He didn’t really want to dwell on why.  

To his left was Yuuko, whom he hadn’t gotten many opportunities to hang out with yet this semester.  He was glad she could make it tonight, and he told her so as she slid into the booth after him.

“Me too!” she said.  “Thanks for inviting me.  I haven’t been out to eat in ages.”

“I haven’t either,” Phichit chimed in from across the table.  He was in between Leo and Otabek, the latter sitting at the very end of the booth.  Mickey was of course next to Sara, as he hardly left his sister’s side, but Yuuri noticed Sara was leaning closer to Mila.  It was a tight fit for everyone, yes, but the two of them seemed especially content to be shoulder-to-shoulder with one another.

JJ had his arm around his girlfriend - Yuuri remembered him saying her name was Isabella - and they snuggled up to each other as they shared a menu.  Yuuri understood why JJ talked about her nonstop that first night they all hung out - she was as charming as she was gorgeous.  

Victor let out a long sigh and pouted, “Yuuri, help.  I can’t decide what to get to eat.”  Yuuri chuckled; Victor _would_ find a way to make looking at a menu dramatic.

Yuri, who thought the question was directed at him, looked up and said, “How am I supposed to know?”

Victor laughed and put a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder.  Yuuri’s heart skipped a beat.  “I meant this Yuuri.”   

“Oh.  Well how is _he_ supposed to know?" 

“It’s too confusing having two Yuris,” Christophe asserted.  He pointed at Yuri, who frowned at him warily.  “I’m going to call you Yurio from now on.”  

“What?!  No way!”  Everyone laughed at the outburst.  “Shut up, it’s not funny!  Why do I get the stupid nickname and he doesn’t?”  He jerked a hand at Yuuri, who shrugged with a playfully satisfied smirk.

Mila leaned over the table, still snickering.  “Would you rather we call you Little Yuri?  Or perhaps Baby Boy?”

Yuri choked on his water, and they all laughed harder (well, all but Otabek, who didn’t seem easily amused).  “ _No!_ ”

“Then Yurio it is!” Christophe exclaimed with a grin, reaching over to clap him on the back.  Yurio jolted forward at the impact and gave Christophe his best glare.  Beneath the scathing look, though, there was enjoyment.  This was all in good fun, after all; Yuuri wouldn’t have thought it funny if the other boy’s feelings were actually getting hurt.  He guessed Yurio wasn’t used to being a part of a group like this and appreciated feeling included in something, which Yuuri could certainly relate to.

Their waiter came by to see if anyone wanted to order any drinks besides water, and then another two times to see if everyone had finally decided on their meal choices.  They all ordered (Yuuri having to help Victor quickly choose between two entrees), and then resumed talking amongst themselves.  

“Jesus, Mila, that’s the hugest burger I’ve ever seen,” a wide-eyed Leo said as the waiter placed her plate in front of her.

Mila chomped into it and said with her mouth full, “Bite me.”  JJ snorted, and Sara smirked.  Yuuri's mouth watered as his own meal was brought to him.

Everyone spent the duration of their dinner laughing and talking, and Yuuri found himself laughing and talking along with them.  He almost felt proud of himself, meshing well with a group of a dozen other people.  He didn’t feel awkward, unwanted, or out of place.  He felt like he actually _belonged_.  Since coming to college, and even before then, Yuuri always found it hard to relate to people in a meaningful way.  His family told him it wasn’t true, but he normally felt like people only tolerated him in conversation to be polite.  But tonight was different.  Now he felt at ease, and like people were actually enjoying his company.  That realization made his heart soar.

It didn’t stop a nagging feeling in his gut from surfacing, though.  One that told him he should be doing homework rather than wasting time socializing.   _You’re sitting in a restaurant when you could be focusing on what’s really important_ , something deep inside him whispered.   _Talking with people you barely know won’t get you As.  You’re going to disappoint your teachers and your parents if you don’t do well in class because of stupid things like this._

Yuuri shoved those thoughts away from the forefront of his mind.  He was actually having a good time here - he didn’t need his own brain messing that up.  Even if there was some truth to what he was telling himself.  

It took a while for everyone to finish dinner, and afterward they all stayed and chatted some more.  Then Isabella suggested they all go out for dessert somewhere, and the party moved out to find a good ice cream place nearby.  They picked a small gelato parlor called Frosty’s, and the thirteen of them crowded into it (much to the horror of the only employee who was there that night).  Everyone gathered around the glass case to examine their options, Otabek opting to hang back.  He had been quiet the whole night, but from what Yuuri gathered, that was just his nature.  

“Ooh, I want butterscotch!” Yurio said, smooshing his finger against the glass to point at it.  “In a cone,” he added to the employee, who nodded and started scooping with her thin but surprisingly strong arms.   

“Fruit-flavored is the way to go,” Yuuko said after she ordered hers.  

Yuuri chuckled and shook his head.  “No, chocolate is better.”

“You’re both wrong,” Phichit said.  “You get one scoop of dark chocolate and one scoop of strawberry.”  He made an _ok_ sign with his fingers.  “Delicious.  Or do neither and get salted caramel.”

Sara perked up at that.  “Ooh, I may have just changed my mind.”

So as to not take up all the space in the shop, they all stepped outside to eat their ice cream after the last person got theirs.  Yuuri was still full from dinner (but he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to eat gelato), so he ate slowly.  It was only after everyone finished their dessert that people said goodnight piled into the cars they carpooled in.

Needless to say, by the time they made it back to their respective dorms on campus, it was late.  Yuuri took a look at the anatomy textbook he had left on the coffee table and sighed.  

“You’re going to study right now?  It’s like, past midnight on a Friday,” Chris chided when he saw Yuuri reach for the book.

Victor sighed.  “He does this a lot,” he said as an aside to Chris.  

Yuuri frowned.  “You act as though my study habits affect you.  You’re free to go to bed.”

Chris shrugged with a, “No arguments here,” and ambled into his bedroom.  Otabek had already disappeared.

Victor turned to Yuuri.  “You are too, you know.  Free to go to bed, I mean.”

Yuuri sighed.  “Victor…”

“Look,” Victor interrupted quickly, though not rudely, “I know it’s none of my business how you do things.  But Yuuri.”  He put his hands on Yuuri’s shoulders, eliciting a squeak from the shorter man.  His piercing blue eyes looked straight into Yuuri’s brown ones, and once again Yuuri didn’t want to look away.  Victor spoke quietly, but his tone was intense.  “You work yourself so hard.  It’s okay if you miss one assignment.  Or save it for tomorrow.  Okay?  You deserve to let yourself breathe.”

Yuuri wanted to argue that he _did_ let himself breathe, he took a long break this evening and it wasn’t yet deserved.  Not until he could prove to himself, his professors, and his family that he was doing his absolute best.  But something about the look in Victor’s eyes… there was genuine care and concern there.

“Why do you care so much?” Yuuri asked quietly, out of curiosity more than anything else.   

Victor’s gaze mellowed.  “Because you’re a good person, and I like you, and I want you to be happy.”

Yuuri felt his face heat up.  “Oh...”   _I like you, too_ , he almost said.

Victor lowered his hands from Yuuri’s shoulders and headed toward his room.  “You’re worth more than your grades, Yuuri,” Victor said, speaking above a whisper now.  His words hung in the air of the otherwise silent room.  He opened his door and took a step into his room.

“Victor,” Yuuri said, making Victor pause halfway through the doorway.  Yuuri didn’t know why he stopped him - he wasn’t even sure exactly what he wanted to say.  “I… I had a good time tonight.”

Victor smiled softly.  “Good.  I’m glad.”

Yuuri stayed in the common area for a few moments after Victor’s door closed.  He chewed on his lip.  He debated knocking on Victor’s door, wanting to keep talking to him.  Instead, though, he went into his own bedroom.

The heavy anatomy textbook was still in Yuuri’s hands.  He glanced at it for a moment, sat down at his desk, and flipped it open.  His eyes glazed over the pages, though, as he struggled between two halves of his mind.  On the one hand, he did have a lot to get done this weekend, and he would feel less guilty about spending so much time tonight with friends rather than with his books if he got something done now.  On the other hand, the things that Victor and Phichit had been telling him may be right.  If he worked himself too hard, he was going to end up miserable.

Yuuri let out a long sigh, pushed his chair back, and closed the book.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't how this chapter was outlined at first, but I thought it was important to see Yuuri's mindset start to change. This setting was a good one for that. (I also wanted to bring in more of the gang :) ) I don't know if anyone else relates, but I have definitely dealt with two warring sides of myself like Yuuri is. 
> 
> Also a little side-note: we're going to see Victor and Yuuri's relationship develop more after this :D
> 
> Thanks for the likes, bookmarks, comments, etc! They really keep me going. Sorry it took me a little longer than usual to update - work got a little crazy and the holiday season is taking up some time ;) 
> 
> I'll be back with another update soon!
> 
> Tumblr: [@devwrites22](http://www.devwrites22.tumblr.com) de-blog)


	5. How to Survive Midterms

With the start of October came a front of cooler weather.  The air was now crisper, the wind sharper.  The last of the green disappeared from the trees around campus. Colorful leaves skidded and swirled across the ground as gusts of wind severed their weak hold on their branches.  Yuuri found it all very peaceful and beautiful.  He loved spring, with warmth seeping into the earth after a cold winter and life reappearing all around him.  But autumn just might be his favorite season - if not for the world teeming with color, then for the refreshing air after the stifling heat of summer.

Unfortunately, it also brought sickness along with it.  Yuuri pretty much never went anywhere without his mask as soon as it became apparent that more than just a few people were falling ill.  It seemed that half the school had at least a cold.  

Victor was no exception, as he came down with the flu around that time.  Though, one could have guessed it was five diseases on top of each other by the way Victor acted.  Yuuri came home from class one afternoon to find Victor shuffling out of his room, wrapped head-to-toe in a duvet.

Yuuri snorted.  “Um… Victor?  What are you doing?”

Victor turned weary eyes to Yuuri.  “I’m going to make soup,” he said, the sentence punctuated by a sneeze.  “I’ve mustered up the energy to get out of bed, see?”  Yuuri pressed his lips together to keep himself from laughing at how pitiful Victor sounded.  He was so stuffy that his words were hardly intelligible.

“Do you want me to make some for you?" 

Victor shook his head slowly.  “I can do it.”

Yuuri rolled his eyes and walked over, dropping his backpack onto the ground on the way.  “Move over, I’ll heat you up some soup.”

“Yuuri, don’t get too close!  You’ll get sick too!”  Victor hid his face in the duvet.

Yuuri laughed and simply said, “Chicken and rice or vegetable?”

There was a small silence, and then Victor’s eyes peeked out.  “Chicken and rice.”

“Alright.”  Yuuri took a can of the soup from the pantry, filled a pot with some water, and situated it over the stove.  “Go sit down, it’ll only be a few minutes.”

The duvet lump made its way to the couch and flopped down on it.  “It’s been nearly a _week_ , Yuuri, and I don’t feel any better.  What if I never recover?”

“Then I guess I’ll have to take over your part of our English project,” Yuuri said, his tone disinterested but a smirk playing at his lips.

Victor gasped in offense and craned his neck to stare wide-eyed at Yuuri.  “Is that all you’re worried about?”

Yuuri’s smirk widened as he turned to face Victor while he stirred the soup.  “Yes, your health is irrelevant to me,” he said, sarcasm now lacing his tone.

“You’re mean to me.”  Victor put his head back on the small, somewhat uncomfortable pillows that normally sat on the sofa.

Yuuri chuckled.  “I’m kidding.  Though it _is_ weird having class without you.”

It really was.  The emptiness in the space beside Yuuri that was normally occupied by Victor was like a physical presence, reminding Yuuri that Victor wasn’t there. Classes were to quiet, too lonely, and almost - dare he say it - boring, without him there.  When had Yuuri become so used to having Victor around that his absence became a distraction?

Once the soup was nice and hot, Yuuri ladled some into a bowl, set the bowl on a small plate with some crackers he found in the pantry, and handed it to Victor along with a spoon and a glass of water.  Victor sat up and shrugged the duvet off his shoulders to free his arms, looking at Yuuri with a soft smile.  “Thank you.”  He held the steaming bowl of soup close to his chest to soak in its warmth.

Yuuri smiled back under his mask, very aware of the way their fingers brushed as Victor took the soup from him.  “No problem.”  

“I smell something yummy,” Christophe said as he walked through the door.  Yuuri was starting to get Chris’s schedule down - today was Wednesday and it was just after one o’clock, which meant he was coming back from his sociology class.  He’d have to leave for work at one of the campus cafés in a few hours.

Otabek’s schedule, on the other hand, Yuuri wouldn’t be able to guess if his life depended on it.

“I made some soup for Victor,” Yuuri supplied.

Victor piped up with a, “You can’t have any.”

Christophe snorted and made a face at him.  “Trust me, I don’t want that.  I can’t get sick right now.”  He headed for his room.  “But I’ll probably make some for myself in a second.”

“That was the last can of that flavor,” Yuuri said with a sympathetic grimace.

“Rude,” Christophe said with a scoff as he went to put his backpack away in his room.

Victor laughed, which turned into a raspy cough.  “Not sorry.”  He ate a few spoonfuls of soup.  “By the way, Chris, when are you going to let me pick out a more stylish bookbag for you?”

Christophe’s head reappeared in his doorway.  “For the last time, I like my rose-print bag, and there’s nothing you can do about that.  You’re just jealous of how awesome it is.”  Victor waved Chris’s retort off.  

Yuuri’s lips twitched into a crooked smile.  In the time that he’d known Chris, he had never seen him self-conscious or insecure.  That boy owned who he was.  Yuuri envied him, in a way; it seemed freeing to not worry about what other people thought.

Satisfied that Victor was well-enough taken care of for now, Yuuri went to the library to get some work done before his anatomy class.  Yuuri liked his anatomy professor, and he liked his classmates, but… the subject material just wasn’t speaking to him.  It was probably just a lull - he would find the motivation and inspiration to really delve into his sports medicine classes soon.  He’d have to.

For now, though, he could live with the twinge of guilt that came with lying to his parents about how much he liked his major.  He didn’t want to let them down, and there would be no point in telling them he enjoyed things like his ballet class much more.  That would certainly open the floodgates and start a never-ending stream of concern from his family.  Yuuri knew they meant well, but he wasn’t up for dealing with the pressure.

To Yuuri’s right in his anatomy class was Sophia, a thin junior with curly black hair.  Yuuri liked her - she was soft-spoken and kind, and she was very passionate about the subject.  It was an unspoken agreement that they always paired up whenever Doctor Caldwell assigned a group activity.  

Like today, for instance.  Caldwell had them working on a packet of complicated questions, which she expected them to complete in only twenty minutes.  Yuuri angled his chair toward Sophia as they collaborated, going back and forth on what the correct answer to one of the problems was.

“Alright, time’s up,” Doctor Caldwell announced before they could finish the last two questions.  “Please return to your seats.”  Students stood from their temporary groups, talking amongst themselves as they went back to their original seats.  Yuuri sighed and straightened his chair up to face the front of the room, looking around a bit to see if other people didn’t finish either.  

Sophia gave him a sideways glance and a smile, scooting her own chair back to its normal position.  “No big deal.  We can go over those last couple problems later, if you want.”

Yuuri nodded a little.  “How many points do you think she’ll take off?”

Sophia shrugged.  “It won’t kill anyone, I don’t think.”  

He nodded again.  And for some reason, Victor’s smooth voice popped into his head: _Don’t be so hard on yourself_.  Yuuri loosed a breath, letting some tension ease from his body as he exhaled.  

The next day, Victor didn’t even come out of his bedroom.  Yuuri lingered by the door, hoping to catch him before he had to leave for class.  But the minutes ticked by, and there was no sign of movement from Victor’s room.  So, shoulders slumping with disappointment, Yuuri turned and left the dorms to go to ballet.

There was an empty spot in the room that was normally occupied by Victor for the second time this week.  Another student stepped in to fill the space, and Yuuri involuntarily frowned.  

“You seem distracted,” Yurio noted during a break in the middle of class.  Their teacher’s wife was pregnant and closing in on labor, so naturally he jumped at every call and text that came to his phone.  

“Hm?  Oh.  I guess I am, a little.”  

Yurio cocked an eyebrow.  “You miss Nikiforov, don’t you?”  It wasn’t exactly a question.

Yuuri blushed.  “I- I mean- it’s different in here without him, don’t you think?”  Yurio laughed, though not maliciously, and Yuuri blushed harder.  “What?”

“Nothing,” Yurio said with a wave of his hand, eyes still alight with amusement.  Then he winked.  “Your secret’s safe with me.”

Yuuri’s brow furrowed, and he opened his mouth to ask what the younger boy meant, but their teacher rushed back into the studio with a “Sorry, guys.  False alarm. Let’s get back to it.”  

“Isn’t she past due at this point?” one of the students - a girl named Alice - inquired.

Professor Bridges ran a hand through his hair, making it look disheveled.  “She is.  But if you’re trying to get me to talk about that rather than teach class, nice try.”  He smirked a little, and Alice made finger-guns.

“Worth a try, eh, Prof?”

Bridges snorted.  “Changements.  Go.”

Yuuri made an effort to appear extra focused for the rest of class that day.

* * *

Luckily, Victor got over his illness within the next week - just in time for midterms.  Yuuri wasn’t dreading his exams per se, but he was definitely not looking forward to them.  He could study for half a dozen hours at a time every day and still not feel fully prepared. 

Which, he basically did. 

It was after Yuuri fell asleep with his face in his textbook at the library after hours on a Friday that Phichit insisted he call it quits for the day.  Like the good friend he was, he had stayed up with Yuuri to study with him so Yuuri didn’t have to do it alone.

Too tired to argue, Yuuri agreed and sluggishly stood up and adjusted his glasses.  Only one other student was still awake and working away at one of the library computers.

Once Yuuri stuffed his backpack with all the study materials he’d brought with him, he walked out of the building with Phichit.  With the amount of times he yawned on their walk, Yuuri thought he might need a coffee just to give him the fuel to make it back home.  

The two of them split off at the third floor of their dorm.  “Get some rest,” Phichit demanded.  “Promise?”

“I promise.  Night, Phichit.”

“Goodnight,” Phichit said, and he disappeared into the hallway.

Yuuri barely made it through the door to his own apartment room, leaning his body weight against it and fumbling doorknob.  Classes to attend and a research paper to write on top of midterms to study for made for a long, exhausting day.

He dragged his feet into the common area of the dorm and chortled at the sight in front of him.  Victor was sprawled on the couch, legs hanging off the edge, asleep with his face in an open textbook just like Yuuri had been not twenty minutes ago.

Yuuri padded across the room, knelt in front of the couch, and gently shook Victor’s shoulder.  “Victor,” he whispered, “wake up.”

Victor groaned sleepily and cracked an eye open.  “Yuuri?”

“You fell asleep on the couch,” Yuuri said.  “It’s almost one in the morning.”

“Oh.”  Victor peeled his face off the pages of his textbook and sat up, yawning in the process.  “Did you just get back from the library?”

Yuuri grimaced.  “I lost track of time.”

“I guess I did, too,” Victor said with a hint of amusement.  He picked up the book he fell asleep on.  “Thanks for waking me up.”

“Of course,” Yuuri said with a nod, still kneeling in front of Victor.  He suddenly realized how suggestive that positioning looked and quickly stood up to his full height.  

Victor got to his feet as well.  He yawned again, stretching his arms above his head, and then looked at Yuuri and chuckled lightly.  “There’s a leaf in your hair.”

“What?”

“Here, I’ll get it.”  Victor reached out and gingerly picked a small leaf that had apparently blown into Yuuri’s hair on his way home from the library.  He ran his fingertips through that section of Yuuri’s hair to smooth it down.  “There.”

Something about that touch, about Victor’s gentle, caressing fingers, made Yuuri’s knees go weak.  He swallowed, frozen in place and looking up into Victor’s face. What was it about him that made Yuuri’s mind go blank?  When had he stopped being the annoying roommate and started being someone Yuuri wanted to be close to?

And at the realization that he wanted to be even closer... Yuuri shut down that train of thought and backed up a step.  “See you tomorrow,” he uttered.

Before Victor could answer, Yuuri slipped into his room.

* * *

If students trudging across campus with bloodshot eyes and a coffee in one hand and an energy drink in the other wasn’t a testament to how midterms were going at the school, Yuuri didn’t know what was.  Exams were kicking a lot of people’s asses this semester.  

Yuuri could feel the tension radiating off each student and through the room as he sat down for his kinesiology exam.  He tried not to let it get to him.  He slowly breathed in, held the breath in his lungs for a few seconds, and then exhaled it just as slowly.  He was prepared.  He had studied hard for this.  There was nothing to worry about.

He picked up his pencil and got to work as soon as the exam packet was placed on the table in front of him.  Though Yuuri kept his eyes on his own paper, he could sense the person next to him glancing at his exam every so often.  Yuuri was too focused to care.  He went through each question quickly yet carefully, in a hurry to answer every question for fear of the knowledge suddenly leaving his head.  Exams had a funny way of doing that to people.  Yuuri finished before anyone else, and he ignored the eyes of other students on him as he turned the midterm in to the professor and left the room.

Because midterm and final exams followed a different schedule than normal classes, Yuuri had ballet next.  He had agreed to meet up with Victor beforehand to go over the material for the written portion one last time.  So, rather than walk straight to the studio, Yuuri took a left at the bell tower and joined Victor at some tables that were situated outside on the patio in front of the old dining hall (now being renovated to expand the bookstore).

Victor smiled as Yuuri sat down.  “How did your first exam go?  Kinesiology, right?”

Yuuri nodded, scooting his chair up to the table.  “Pretty well, I think.  I finished first.”

“Of course you did,” Victor said with that crooked smile Yuuri had come to love.

“What about your Intro to Improv one?”

Victor let out a laugh.  “So easy.  I’m pretty sure everyone in the class got an A.”

“Well, that’s good.”  Yuuri smiled.  “Ready to go over ballet?”

“Super ready,” Victor said, patting the papers he’d gotten out - a small review packet that was given to each student to help them study for the exam.  Yuuri had breezed through his.

He and Victor took turns quizzing each other, neither of them having any trouble answering the questions.  Fifteen minutes before class was to start, they made their way to the studio.

“Are you nervous for the dance part of the exam?” Yuuri asked curiously.  

Victor shook his head.  “One-on-one with the teacher doesn’t scare me.”

It scared Yuuri a bit.  But he was confident he knew the moves well enough to execute them close to flawlessly.

Yuuri was greeted with the familiar light, content feeling that came with walking into the ballet studio.  This was becoming one of his favorite places on campus.  Here he could let loose, be freer than he could sitting at a desk being lectured about science or history.  

“Oi, Katsuki.”  

Yuuri smiled, knowing immediately who that voice belonged to without having to look at him.  He turned toward Yurio, who was already changed into his ballet clothes. “Hey, Yurio.”

Yurio made a face at the nickname but didn’t correct him.  He glanced at the ground for a second and then back to Yuuri’s face.  “Good luck.  You too, Nikiforov.”

Yuuri’s smile widened.  “Thanks, Yurio.  Good luck to you, too.”

“I don’t need luck,” Yurio replied almost automatically.  Then he paused and uttered a rushed, “But thanks,” and took up his spot in the middle of the studio floor.

Victor chuckled.  “I like that kid.”

“Me too,”  Yuuri said with a soft smile.  

After everyone was changed into ballet clothes, Mr. Bridges - who would be taking parental leave right after this exam - split up the class.  One half, which was put into the small classroom behind the studio, took the written portion on oath of the honor code while the other went to do the physical part of the test.  Partyway through, they would switch off.   

As he expected, Yuuri got through the written part of the exam easily.  He waited for the teacher to call the second half of the class up for the physical part, and then filed into the studio with the five other people who were taking the written exam with him.

Victor was up first, and once again, Yuuri couldn’t take his eyes off him.  He commanded the room with graceful yet powerful movements, so precise and so elegant.  Yuuri knew he couldn’t perform as well as that, but as long as he executed each element correctly, he was sure his grade would be fine.

Yuuri went last.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Victor watching him from where he and the other students were sitting on the floor against the wall.  Yuuri took a deep breath and, as soon as the first notes of the music rang through the room, he began dancing.

Every movement felt right, and with each one, Yuuri’s confidence grew.  Any nerves he had about having the teacher’s attention solely on him faded away.  By the end of the short performance, he was grinning.  He looked at the teacher to see him smiling back.  

“Well done, Yuuri,” he said.  Yuuri released a relieved sigh.  

Mr. Bridges scribbled down a few notes on his clipboard and then peeked into the classroom to tell the other half of the class their time was up.  He collected their exams and had everyone gather in the studio for a moment to express how proud he was of each student.  His closing remarks were to keep up the good work with the substitute, who they’d meet next week.  After that, they were dismissed.

“Yuuri,” Mr. Bridges said just as Yuuri was leaving the room.  Yuuri stopped and looked over his shoulder at his professor.  “Good job today.  I can tell you truly enjoy dancing.  It comes through.”

“Oh… thank you,” Yuuri said.  

“This may be overstepping my bounds, but if you ever want to change your major to ballet… I think you could really excel in it.”  

Yuuri nodded slowly, unsure of exactly how to respond.  “Thanks.”

The professor gave Yuuri a quick pat on the shoulder.  “Now, I’m going to go spend some time with my new baby.”  He pushed the door open and called behind him, “Have a good weekend.”

Yuuri gave a little wave and then stepped outside as well to find Yurio and Victor waiting for him.  

“We’re going to lunch,” Yurio said.  “You’re coming.”

“Well alright then,” Yuuri said through a chuckle.  “Where to?”

Victor looped his arm through Yuuri’s.  “Wherever you want.”

* * *

By the time midterms were over, Yuuri was drained.  He had taken his last one today - Anatomy - and promptly flopped into bed for the rest of the day.  Sometimes, he just needed time to himself to unwind.

He considered calling his family, since it had been over a week since he last talked to them, but… he wasn’t sure if he had the energy for that conversation right now.  

As if the universe could hear him and liked messing with him, Yuuri’s phone started ringing right at that moment.  Sure enough, it was his mother.  The picture of her in her favorite hat, showing off the katsudon she just made, lit up his phone screen.

Yuuri swiped across the screen to answer the call.  “Hi, mother,” he greeted in Japanese.

“Hello, Yuuri!  How are you doing?”

Yuuri sat up a little straighter.  “I’m tired, but good.  What are you all doing?”

“We just finished lunch,” Hiroko answered.  Despite being a sophomore, the time difference between them still threw Yuuri sometimes.  “How did your midterms go?  Did you get good grades?”  Getting to the point quickly, it seemed.

“I don’t know yet,” Yuuri said, turning to look out his bedroom window.  “We won’t get our grades back for another week or two.”

“But you think they went well?”

“I think so.”  

An excited squeal from the other end of the line.  “I’m so proud of you, Yuuri.  You’re going to be very successful in your field, we just know it.”

Yuuri did his best to sound upbeat.  “Thanks, mother.”

Apparently his tone didn’t come across the way he wanted, because his mother said, “Is something the matter?”

Yuuri could keep up this ruse - the lie that was his passion for sports medicine.  He had been for over a year now.  Or, he could finally get the truth off his chest and tell his mother how he really felt.  Risk her disappointment, her judgment.

The words tumbled out of his mouth.  “I don’t really like it that much.”  Yuuri cringed at the sentence and the silence that followed.

“You mean… you don’t like your major?  What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing’s _wrong_ , exactly…  I’m just not passionate about it.”  He hesitated for a beat before adding, “Not like I am with ballet.”

Instead of getting upset, Yuuri’s mother simply replied, “Don’t worry, Yuuri, you’ll get there.  You just have to stick with it.  I’m glad ballet is fun, it will make a good hobby on the side.”

And something in the ease of her sentences, the almost dismissive way she said them, told Yuuri there was no real room for argument.  His mother didn’t understand what Yuuri was really trying to say - that he wasn’t compelled to continue in this major, even if she believed he could do it.  All she knew was what she thought was best for him, and that thought became a blinder.  To her, this was Yuuri’s path to success.  Why would he need any others to choose from?

Suddenly the walls of his room felt too close, the air too stifling.  His head was too light, and he couldn’t get in a good enough breath.  “I have to go, mom,” he said rapidly into the phone.  “I love you.”  He hung up and tossed the phone onto his pillow.

In the hopes of staving off the panic attack, Yuuri grabbed the first jacket he saw and left the apartment, too distracted to make sure the door shut quietly behind him. Outside, the sky was dark and clear, and the campus was empty around him.

Yuuri’s feet started carrying him to the gazebos before he consciously realized where he was going.  The small gazebos, which sat underneath rows of trees in a lengthy lawn, served multiple purposes.  During the day, they were a perfect place to relax or to study when the weather was nice.  At night, they were mostly used by people who wanted a somewhat romantic setting to make out.  Or, like right now, they offered both solitude and openness to an over-stressed or panicking student.

Yuuri was so wrapped up in his own head that he didn’t notice another student occupying the gazebo he was heading for until he got all the way to the structure’s arched entrance.  The student turned his head when he noticed Yuuri approaching, and moonlight glinted off silver hair.

“Victor?”  Yuuri stepped a foot inside.

“Oh, hi, Yuuri.”  Victor scooted over to make room for Yuuri next to him on the bench.  Yuuri crossed through the middle of the gazebo and sat down.  “What are you doing here?”

Yuuri admitted, “I needed to get out of the dorms.”

Victor tilted his head, curiosity and concern in his features.  “What for?”

Yuuri pulled his knees up to his chest.  “My life is barrelling toward a future that I don’t want and I don’t know how to change it,” he said, surprising himself with the simplicity of his own tone.  “What about you?  Why are you here?”

Victor gave him a grim smile, his blue eyes appearing grayer.  “I needed to get out of the dorms,” he echoed.  Then, after a small pause, “Sometimes you need an escape from even yourself.”

Yuuri’s brow furrowed.  “What do you mean?”

Victor tilted his head to look at the sky through the open design that ran just under the gazebo’s roof.  “Everyone runs into days when they don’t like themselves that much, don’t you think?”

Yuuri’s face fell.  That seemed so unlike him.  Victor was always smiling, always upbeat.  Yuuri had never caught onto any inkling of this underlying battle with self-esteem.

Victor must have caught on to Yuuri’s thoughts, because he gave a half-hearted chuckle and said, “I know, I don’t act like it usually.”

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri murmured.  It made him sad to see this side of Victor, a side that wasn’t the charming personality that he was so used to.  He wished he could glimpse what went on in Victor’s mind, if only to find a way to make him feel better.

“It’s alright,” Victor said with a wave of his hand.  He turned his head back to face Yuuri.  “So, you’re on a train with no brakes.”

Yuuri sighed.  “It’s my parents.  Mostly my mom.  They really want me to be… something I don’t care about that much.”  Victor’s face was sympathetic.  “She means well. She really does.  I just don’t think she _really_ listens when I tell her some things.”

“Have you tried talking to her about that?” Victor offered.  
  
Yuuri shrugged.  “Kind of.  I... don’t really know how.  What if I hurt her feelings?”  That was the other piece of this.  Yuuri felt a little guilty about not loving the major his parents wanted for him.  Their intentions were good; he didn’t want to come across ungrateful or let them down. 

Victor said quietly, “Sometimes the hard conversations are the most important ones to have.”

Yuuri swallowed, fighting tears.  A part of him knew this situation wasn’t as big a deal as he was making it out to be.  But that part of him was small, buried under piles of worry that blinded him and clouded his head.  The future was too daunting to even wrap his head around anymore. 

His breath hitched when gentle fingers closed around his.  Yuuri glanced over to see Victor gazing down at him.  “You know what makes me feel better at times like this?”

Yuuri shook his head, not trusting his voice at the moment.

Victor stood, urging Yuuri to do the same with a tame tug on his hand.  “Come with me.”

Curious as to what Victor was up to, Yuuri left the gazebo with him.  Victor had let go of his hand, but it was still within reach of Yuuri’s fingertips.

He let Victor lead him through campus, eventually recognizing where they were headed.  He frowned.  “Victor… the ballet studio is locked at night.”

The only response he got from the Russian was a sly smile and a knowing wink.

They crossed the street and reached the studio, but instead of heading for the doors, Victor turned them right and walked down the hill around the side of the building. Finally, he said, “There’s a side door over here.  The lock is broken.”  Sure enough, behind the dumpsters was a small door that led into the back of the building.  

Yuuri raised an eyebrow, squeezing around the dumpsters.  “How did you find out about this?”

Victor simply gave another playful smirk and opened the door.

The ballet studio had a different feel after hours.  It was somehow both haunting and peaceful in its quiet emptiness.  Victor, more accustomed to the space than Yuuri, made his way through the darkness to the light switches and flipped one on.  A dim, orange-yellow glow emanated from just a few of the bulbs across the ceiling. 

“I don’t like having all the lights on when I come here at night,” Victor explained, stepping out into the middle of the room.  

Yuuri hesitantly followed, hovering at the edge of the studio floor.  “What if we get caught?”

Victor chuckled.  “I haven’t gotten caught yet.  Besides, what are they going to do?  We’re not really breaking any rules.”  Yuuri’s face twisted, still unsure.  But then Victor extended a hand, eyes soft and inviting, and said, “Trust me.”

Yuuri held Victor’s gaze for a moment, and he realized something: He did trust him.  Not only that, but he felt comfortable with him.  At ease.  At home.

Yuuri stepped forward to meet Victor in the center of the room and took his still-extended hand.  Victor smiled - one of his genuine smiles, Yuuri noticed.  The kind that reached his eyes.  And then, they danced.  And as Yuuri glided with Victor around the room, silent save for their footsteps and soft breaths, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders, bit by bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is finally here! I really enjoyed writing this one, especially the ending. What part is *your* favorite? 
> 
> EDIT: important question... if I were to include Victor's POV, would you want just a chapter or two in this fic, or would you be interested in a separate companion fic? Let me know your thoughts!!
> 
> Tumblr: [@devwrites22](http://www.devwrites22.tumblr.com)


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